Moving house outside..

[ElTigreChino]

Hi everyone i'm new to this thread. I was just wondering how i should move my dog Frodo's house outside and get him to be outside a lot more? He's 15 weeks old and loves being inside with the family but i have to make him be more of an outside dog. Unfortunately he hates being outside for more than 2 minutes by himself he will bark till someone goes and gets him haha.

[Jan]

Please read this thread Outdoor Dogs and you'll see what most of us here feel about outside dogs.

Labs love their families and want to be with them. Why do you have to make him more of an outside dog?

[BigBrownDog]

Hi everyone i'm new to this thread. I was just wondering how i should move my dog Frodo's house outside and get him to be outside a lot more? He's 15 weeks old and loves being inside with the family but i have to make him be more of an outside dog. Unfortunately he hates being outside for more than 2 minutes by himself he will bark till someone goes and gets him haha.

Why do you want him outside more?

[Tanya]

agree with the above.

going from encouraging a baby to spend abit more time outside on their own, to moving them outside permanently is two different things. Does he HAVE to become an outside dog? what do you mean "making him more of an outside dog" - just so he is able to chill outside now and then? If so that will likely come with age. Or do you mean making him an outside dog that spends all their time outside (both when family is home and when family is away from the home)

As to why he whines when he is outside alone - well he's a baby! what's the point of being outside on his own he needs someone to play with. I would also caution that at that age they can get into a lot of trouble outside, chewing and eating things that can cause blockage or make them sick or digging. So it isn't ideal to leave a young dog outside unsupervised very long anyway.

[SharonaZamboni]

My dog does not like to stay outside alone, either. He always wants to be with us, and that's fine with me.

[ElTigreChino]

Sorry i should rephrase..i want him to be outside a little more. He can spend most of his time inside and that's fine with me but i just want him getting a few hours of outside time too. I was thinking i could move his crate outside and leave it open all the time now that he is housetrained? He's a very intelligent boy.

[Tanya]

I wouldn't bother putting the crate outside (You'll still need it indoors anyway). In big part this is because he is so very young, very much a baby. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Like I said, he is more likely to get into trouble even if he were ok with being outside. You can crate him indoors when you need a break or he needs a nap.

[Sophiesmama]

Moving the crate outside is not a good idea. Your puppy is too young to be outside without supervision! He can get into so much trouble! Puppies put everything in their mouths! Labbys are family dogs, and need to be with people. You are his family. He wants and needs to be with you. NOT outside! I would never ever stick my 15 week old puppy outside by himself for a "few hours"!!!

[Jan]

OK, I'm glad to hear he won't be an outside dog! I think it depends on your yard if he can be outside for a bit by himself. I don't feel as strongly as some about this issue, but I have a private fenced back yard in a nice neighbourhood (and city). So when I'm home, they (I have two dogs) go out for maybe an hour in nice weather, and they just snooze on the deck. If they want in, they get to come in. Hopefully, your dog is getting enough exercise, and since being outside isn't "exercise", I don't see any real benefit for him to be out. But... if you'd like him to be used to up to an hour outside, maybe give him a marrow bone & watch from inside to see that he doesn't be bored, get into mischief, or bark!

[Garth]

Umm NO!

No dog should be left in a crate outside on its own. Besides the obvious risks of theft, your pup is only 15 weeks old. What if he spills his water dish & is left without water until someone notices? By then, it will be too late because he would have died in the heat. Today, Sydney is expecting temps of between 22-26 degC. Would YOU want to be kept outside in a crate in those conditions? You have no idea how he will react in a thunderstorm. The last time I was in Sydney, it was a perfect summer day. We were on a harbour cruise. Within about 30 minutes of getting back to Circular Quay, we were in the middle of one of the worst thunderstorms I have ever seen. Most dogs are TERRIFIED of thunder especially puppies. He could die out there. Is that what you want?

If you want him to get used to being outside, have him outside with the family. Play ball or leash train him while he's out there with you. What's wrong with having a dog that's an integral part of the family? Call me dumb, but I just don't understand that mentality.